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2018 Marketing Predictions: Paid Media

In the last part of our 2018 predictions series, Director of Paid Strategy, Shawn Finn gives us his thoughts on the paid media topics that should be on the forefront of all discussions as you move into 2018.

PPC will continue to be the most effective channel in 2018, with social, shopping, programmatic, native and video advertising gaining share within the market. According to a recent Hanapin report, 84 percent of respondents feel good about the PPC market this year compared to last.

Consumer behavior and audience targeting, layered with a solid search strategy, will give you the ultimate one-two punch.

As marketers, we have endless data at our disposal that we should use to create kick-ass strategies that lead to vast amounts of conversions. Advertisers improve campaign performance by identifying behaviors of the core demographic, layering that data with the recent audience-targeting developments in Google and focusing on the right keywords for the ultimate paid strategy. Combining these elements will ensure that the content you serve will be relevant to your customers during certain micro-moments, and that will help move the needle in the right direction.

Video will continue to skyrocket.

During 2017 we witnessed the rise of video content, and I see this trend gaining steam as we move forward. Current predictions indicate that by 2019, video will account for 80 percent of consumer internet traffic. Crazy, isn’t it? Maybe not, if you take a step back and think about signs you exhibit in your own behavior. Here are some additional stats that really drive this point home.

As a result of this demand and increase in competition, advertisers will also start to see an increase in CPV. I do think this increase will be minimal and shouldn’t discourage advertisers from increasing budgets here.

AI and machine learning are changing the way we think about search.

Apparent trends stood out at numerous conferences in the past year: AI and machine learning. Technology is always advancing. What are you and others doing to stay ahead of the curve? In 2017 Google made a number of account updates (automated bidding strategies and smart display campaigns) that indicate a large investment in machine learning technology, and it is here to stay. These updates have been making PPC managers around the globe angry as they continue to lose control of the targeting advantages the platform previously offered. Rethinking keyword targeting is inevitable, and the faster you adapt, the better off your accounts will be.

Take advantage of B2B social growth.

At Oneupweb, we have been receiving a lot of queries from prospective clients about social advertising, specifically for the B2B market. LinkedIn is the first publisher that comes to mind, but Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are all getting more and more attention in this market.

To do it right, B2B companies should connect with potential buyers and decision makers just as a B2C company would. Customers are more likely to purchase from or submit information to companies they like and feel comfortable with. Outside of the office setting, these customers can be found on social, and you should be there too.

Final Thoughts

The PPC industry will certainly see some interesting changes in 2018. Advertisers will continue to invest heavily in text ads while increasing social budgets. The increased budgets, along with the major advances in automation and machine learning, will alter PPC strategies. Additionally, the expansion of behavior and demographic targeting in Google will enable advertisers to create more comprehensive strategies with higher potentials for account growth.

If you’re having trouble with your Paid Media campaigns, Oneupweb is here to help. Learn more about our paid media services by reaching out to us.